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Actor Timothée Chalamet is riding high on the success of his fantasy musicalWonka. He plays Willy Wonka in the film, based on Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which opened to positive reviews during the holiday season and was a surprise hit. It has now exceeded the $500 million milestone at the global box office, making it Timothée Chalamet’s most successful film yet.
Wonkawas not a sure-shot winner during filming though it starred Chalamet, Hugh Grant, and more and was based on a beloved IP. Industry experts reportedly believed that the film would flop much like other new-age musicals such asWest Side StoryandIn The Heights. However, the family-friendly musical seems to have won hearts despite the forces against it.
Also read:Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka Blows Away Johnny Depp’s Record With $500M at the Box-Office After Being Expected to Fail
Timothée Chalamet’s Career TillWonka
ActorTimothée Chalamethas slowly climbed up the latter of the Hollywood A-list with him headlining blockbusters as well as making himself endearing to cinephiles with memorable indies. The actor gained fame with small roles in films such asInterstellarandMen, Women, and Children.
He had his breakthrough when he starred in the indie dramasLady BirdandCall Me By Your Name. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for the latter, propelling him to the mainstream. Chalamet went on to act in films such as Woody Allen’sA Rainy Day In New Yorkand Netflix’sThe King. He also starred alongside Steve Carrell inBeautiful Boy.
Also read:Timothée Chalamet Proves He is the New Cash Cow of Hollywood and He Doesn’t Need MCU or DCU to Shatter Box Office Records
In 2021, Timothée Chalamet starred as the leading man in Dennis Villeneavue’s space operaDune. The actor played Paul Atreides, the prince who has to flee along with his mother when the evil Harkonnens attack their kingdom to gain control of the spice melange on the planet of Arrakis. It was based on the popular sci-fi novel series by Frank Herbert.
Dunehad a large ensemble cast along with Chalamet, including Rebecca Fergusson, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, and more. It was a blockbuster film that was unfortunately released during the global pandemic and earned $402 million at the global box office. It was Chalamet’s highest-grossing film as a leading man until 2023’sWonka.
Also read:Timothée Chalamet Can Rival Against Tom Holland’s Spider-Man as This Supervillain- Fans Campaign For Wonka Star’s MCU Debut
Timothée Chalamet’sWonkaCrosses The $500 Million Milestone
Timothée Chalamet returned to hisCall Me By Your Namedirector Luca Guadagnino’s romantic horror filmBones and All. However, he was then cast as Willy Wonka in the fantasy musicalWonkabased on Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s novelCharlie and the Chocolate Factory. The actor’s casting was met with disapproval as previous actors such as Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp were steeped into the memory of the audience.
Talking about his iteration of the character, Chalamet toldUSA Todaythat he hoped to bring a performance that was different from that of Wilder and Depp. He said,
“I remember reading the script and immediately understanding that one of the crucial aspects of the character was his undying spirit and ambition. It was a total inverse of that Willy Wonka with a demented look in his eye that we all know. How would that character have started, to land in a place where he’s still childlike but sort of broken?”
Though the film was initially met with skepticism as musicals were also not hot property,Wonkaopened to surprisingly positive reviews. The film drew praise for its direction by Paul King (known forPaddington) while Chalamet’s performance polarized viewers. However,Varietyrecently reported that the film crossed the $500 million mark at the box office, making it the highest-grossing film of Timothée Chalamet as a leading man.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
